Five years!

Pin It Our sweet, spunky, God-lovin' Katie-Bug turns FIVE today!

Five years ago today, our second little angel came into our lives. This little one is our "live wire." She is a ball full of energy, has her own look and her own way. Quiet possibly the best way to describe our Kate is sincere: whether she is happy, sad, angry, excited, she can not hide her emotions and feels them to the max!

In Kate's own words:

My favorite color is...pink

On TV, I like to watch...Wild Kratts

My favorite book is...My Princess Book

My favorite movie is...the movie theater Cinderella (Disney's new live-action movie)

I like to eat...tootsie rolls

I feel happy when...Elena kisses me

I feel sad when...I fall off my bike on the road

I like to...go to the movies

I don't like to...eat chocolate cheesecake (really?!?!)

I think Daddy is...a fun daddy

I think Mommy is...a sweetheart

I think Elena is...the sweetest sister I ever had
I think Wren is...the funniest baby, I mean toddler

I think Sanford (our dog) is...the funnest doggie I ever had

I think Gracie (our cat) is...a laying cat

I like to play with...Elena

My favorite toy is...my playhouse

I am really good at...giving Katie-bug hugs

I get excited...when we go to the movie theater

I like to go to...Great Wolf Lodge

My best friend is...Elena

I love...Elena

I am forever amazed that the Lord would allow me to be a mom to this little one! What a joy it is to have her in our lives. My prayer for you, sweet Kate is the same today as it always is:

What an awesome privilege God has given me to be your Mommy.

I pray that you forever grow in His Grace.

I pray that you will grow to Love Him more each day

I pray that you will grow to show His love to others

I pray that you will have all the joys your heart desires

I pray that I will always be able to guide you along the right path

I pray that you will always know how very much you are loved

I pray that no one ever quenches your zeal for life

I pray that your enthusiasm is always used for God's glory

I pray for His wisdom in raising you to be all that God designed you to be.

You are your Mommy's joy, precious Kate!

I love you with all of my heart. Happy Birthday to my sweet girl.

Kate is FOUR!!!

Pin It Our sweet, spunky, God-lovin' Katie-Bug turns FOUR today!

Four years ago today, our second little angel came into our lives. This little one is our "live wire." She is a ball full of energy, has her own look and her own way. Quiet possibly the best way to describe our Kate is sincere: whether she is happy, sad, angry, excited, she can not hide her emotions and feels them to the max!

In Kate's own words:

My favorite color is...pink

On TV, I like to watch...Monkey George

My favorite book is...Stuffie Book

My favorite movie is...Peter Pan

I like to eat...healthy food

I feel happy when...Daddy comes home

I feel sad when...Daddy is away

I like to...play with Daddy & Elena outside

I don't like to...tear up my shirts

I think Daddy is...handsome

I think Mommy is...beautiful

I think Elena is...beautiful
I think Wren is...beautiful

I think Georgia (our dog) is...big

I think Gracie (our cat) is...little

I like to play with...Elena

My favorite toy is...the doll house

I am really good at...playing soccer

I get excited...when Daddy comes home

I like to go to...Great Wolf Lodge

My best friend is...Elena

I love...Elena

I am forever amazed that the Lord would allow me to be a mom to this little one! What a joy it is to have her in our lives. My prayer for you, sweet Kate is the same today as it always is:

What an awesome privilege God has given me to be your Mommy.

I pray that you forever grow in His Grace.

I pray that you will grow to Love Him more each day

I pray that you will grow to show His love to others

I pray that you will have all the joys your heart desires

I pray that I will always be able to guide you along the right path

I pray that you will always know how very much you are loved

I pray that no one ever quenches your zeal for life

I pray that your enthusiasm is always used for God's glory

I pray for His wisdom in raising you to be all that God designed you to be.

You are your Mommy's joy, precious Kate!

I love you with all of my heart. Happy Birthday to my sweet girl.

Kate is THREE!!!

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Three years ago today, our second little angel came into our lives. This little one is our "live wire." She is a ball full of energy, has her own look and her own way. Quiet possibly the best way to describe our Kate is sincere: whether she is happy, sad, angry, excited, she can not hide her emotions and feels them to the max!

In the past year you have grown from a little toddler to a precious little girl and Mommy and Daddy couldn't be more proud!

I love the sound of your voice when you are playing pretend

I love those random hugs you give throughout the day

I love all of your silly faces

I love your pretty curls (especially as I learn to tame them)

I love when you stick your cheek out for me to kiss it (and how one kissed cheek is never enough)

I love to hear your sweet prayers at bed time

I love giving and receiving your "Ugga-Muggas" (nose kisses)

I love giving you piggy-back rides to bed

I love watching you play with your sisters

I love your passion for life!

In Kate's own words:

My favorite color is...purple

On TV, I like to watch...Monkey George

My favorite book is...BB Wolf

My favorite movie is...Tangled

I like to eat...carrots

I feel happy when...somebody plays with me

I feel sad when...someone takes my toys away

I like to...sprinkle (put sprinkles on a cake)

I don't like to...write

I think Daddy is...brown

I think Mommy is...pink

I think Elena is...a sister
I think Wren is...a baby sister

I think Georgia (our dog) is...dark

I think Gracie (our cat) is...hiding

I like to play with...balls

My favorite toy is...my play food

I am really good at...throwing balls

I get excited...when I see Grammy

I like to go to...Grandpa's

My best friend is...Elena

I love...Elena

I am forever amazed that the Lord would allow me to be a mom to this little one! What a joy it is to have her in our lives. My prayer for you, sweet Kate is the same today as it always is:

What an awesome privilege God has given me to be your Mommy.

I pray that you forever grow in His Grace.

I pray that you will grow to Love Him more each day

I pray that you will grow to show His love to others

I pray that you will have all the joys your heart desires

I pray that I will always be able to guide you along the right path

I pray that you will always know how very much you are loved

I pray that no one ever quenches your zeal for life

I pray that your enthusiasm is always used for God's glory

I pray for His wisdom in raising you to be all that God designed you to be.

You are your Mommy's joy, precious Kate!

I love you with all of my heart. Happy Birthday to my sweet girl.

Ponies, Pillows and a Parachute

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I know it has been FOREVER since I posted, but today the hubs went back to work and I guess I kind of did as well. Last week I saw an amazing idea on Play at Home Mom's blog and I knew we MUST try this. Well, completely on accident last night, Elena went digging through some of my old teaching supplies and re-discovered my 16-person parachute. We began playing with it (as best we could with one adult, one 3-year-old and one 16-month-old). We have a box fan at the entrance to our playroom (since it's a lot warmer than the other rooms in our house). Quiet by accident we discovered that our little box fan, a few close walls, and the parachute create the perfect bubble hut!

We played in it for a while last night before dinner time. Of course, first thing this morning, Elena was asking for the parachute again. This time we set it up in the hallway between the girls' rooms. They immediately began filling it with pillows and of course the ponies had to get in on the action.

It's not a "bubble boy" bubble, but it ended up being a lot cheaper for us with no trip to Lowe's.  I have a feeling we'll be doing this a lot in the coming winter months!

Kate's Garden Party/Bug-themed First Birthday

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My little Kate’s first birthday party was just as much fun for me to plan as her big sister’s third birthday party (if not more so). I wanted to try and use as much of the same items for Kate’s party as I did in Elena’s (to save a bit since they were so close together) but I wanted them to be totally different. Elena’s was more fun and whimsical but Kate’s was more sweet, sophisticated, and feminine. For Kate’s party, I started with her pet name that has kind of stuck: “Katie-Bug.” I had seen some adorable lady bug parties out there, but once again, did not want to go the traditional route. What started out as a bug theme, evolved into a garden party theme.

The color choices came next. The green gingham was a given since I had cut out table cloths, backdrops, etc. for Elena’s party. I also still had a good bit left over. I had a plethora of canning jars so I decided to use them again as well. I love Kate’s baby blue eyes, so I added baby blue to the mix and topped it off with simple white lace (since I also had a lot of lace and ribbon given to me by my grandmother). Green grass with butterflies and dragonflies completed the design elements.


I once again made four basic designs that I repeated throughout the different elements of the party: the number 1 in green gingham, a blue butterfly, grass and bugs and “Kate” with blue outlines/green gingham.

Since the theme was about gardens and growing, I included pictures of Kate, birth through 11 months on the front of her invitation.

I don’t know about you, but I have always had the toughest time trying to determine what to give a baby for their first birthday. I know that the babies will not remember the day, but I want the gift to be something special that they (or their parents) will enjoy. We had a very special gift given to us when Elena turned one: a tree to plant and watch grow as she grew. Thinking of that gift led me to the flower idea: I asked each family to bring their favorite perennial flower as their gift to Kate. With each invitation I included a business card insert that read, “Help Kate’s Garden Grow. As your gift to our growing girl, please bring your favorite perennial flower to plant in the Birthday Girl’s garden.”

Birthday Outfit

For the birthday dress, I used the number 1 design element on the front of her dress. The blue fabric was from a pillow case that I no longer used. I used the green gingham and some eyelet lace that I already had for trim. I also made the matching bloomers and a cute little bonnet. I’ll admit that this beautiful garden party got my ideas flowing. I followed her tutorial for this bonnet to complete the birthday outfit. At first I was a bit skeptical about putting her in a bonnet. Would she keep it on? Would it look too much like a costume? Would it be practical? She did tug at it a bit when I first put it on her, but once we were outside, she forgot she was wearing it and it protected her little head and face from the sun (not to mention the fact that she looked pretty adorable in it). To match the dress and bloomers, I pleated the ruffle instead of gathering it and added a bit of white eyelet lace to match as well. I also made her a bib to wear during her smash cake time. I cut the bib from the center of an old bath towel that was coming unraveled and bare in some places. Total cost for her outfit: $2 for a bit of extra lace on the bloomers and bonnet and $1.35 for the trim on the bib.

Menu

We actually had to reschedule the party due to several conflicts and some illnesses in our family so what started out as a light afternoon menu turned into a light lunch right after church. I served sub sandwiches, butterfly-shaped peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, lime-kissed fruit salad, a veggie tray, layered potato salad and confetti pasta salad with lemon vinaigrette dressing.

For desert I made vanilla pound cake cupcakes with cream cheese icing and my home-made vanilla ice cream (I'll try and post my recipe for this one later since I had several people ask for it). Using my four basic design elements, each cupcake was then topped with a cupcake topper that I made using my 2" scalloped-circle punch and candy sticks. Using this free template, I made cupcake holders from paper doilies.

I used the same dollar tree serving platters that I made for Elena’s party but with a fresh coat of blue paint to match the décor better. These were made using three round metal serving platters, two glass vases, a smaller glass bowl, and two foam rings. What I liked best about these creations was the ability to fill the glass vases for a special touch and versatility from party to party.

I used the same punch and design elements as on the cupcake toppers to make labels for the cups. Each guest wrote their name on their cup for identification. For the children, I purchased inexpensive cups with straws from Oriental traders and made my own inserts with their names to match the party décor. For the babies, I found sippy cups at the dollar tree. For personalization, I found a place online where you can purchase waterproof, vinyl, inkjet labels by the sheet. I simply printed out matching labels for the babies and put them on their sippy cups (though I'll admit, I wasn't happy with how the labels held up in the dishwasher). For beverages I served our version of sparkling strawberry limeade and iced cucumber water (water with slices of cucumber for freshness) in inexpensive beverage dispensers (I learned my lesson about using canning jars for the beverages at Elena’s party). These were inexpensive purchases from Walmart that I am sure we will use again many times.

I used the scallop punch and printed green gingingham papers to make the napkin rings for the cutlery sets. I used solid blue paper products and a few bunches of babies breath to complete the look for the buffet table.

Decorations

Since the party was outside, I didn’t go over the top with decorations. I put up a single canopy for the food table and “show and tell” table. I spent most of my time and effort putting together the display table with items from her first year. I hung various outfits and pictures from her first year on a clothes line as a backdrop to the table. Following the garden theme, I purchased inexpensive plastic pots that I painted blue and filled with green grasses. I then glued cardboard letters to dowels which I nestled in the grasses to spell Kate’s name across the back of the table.

The display table also featured various items with photos of events and happening from Kate’s first year. The photo frames were also dollar tree purchases. I just painted them blue to match. When I put out the basket she lay in for her first week photo shoot, I shed a little tear to think of how tiny she was, and how quickly our babies grow!

The gift table was probably my favorite element of the party. The centerpiece was a “tree” made from a fallen branch from our yard.

I simply painted the branch white, attached a few painted silk butterflies, and anchored it in a pot that I painted blue with lace glued around the base. We called this “Kate's Tree of Future Hopes and Dreams.” Each guest removed a metal plant tag from the tree and wrote a wish or prayer for Kate’s future on one side and their names/their plant name on the other. We placed the plant tags with the plants in her garden. I know that these will be special keepsakes that our family will treasure every time we visit Kate's garden in the years to come. She will always know how special she was and is to the families that came to her first birthday.

I made simple centerpieces for the tables using canning jars, a small amount of lace, babies breath, and butterfly images. I also had folding fans just in case it was warm out (it was perfect weather so we ended up not using them). On the kid table, I had bug boxes as place-cards. I purchased the bug boxes online for $1 each then spray painted them to match the décor. I made simple name tags that I tied on the front of each box with blue ribbon and lace.

Activities

Since the party was held outside, in our back yard I had everyone park on the street. I used sidewalk chalk to point everyone in the right direction, down our driveway rather than through the front door. Though I did manage to clean house a bit, I only opened the basement to guests for the bathroom and some play time in the playroom if needed.

As guests arrived, the kids played on our play set as the adults perused Kate’s show and tell table. Once everyone arrived, we had a quick prayer of blessing for the food and thanks for Kate’s sweet little life. We sang happy birthday to her. She of course had her fun smash cake experience then everyone enjoyed refreshments.

After eating, I had planned to gather everyone up to plant Kate’s garden and share our prayers for our sweet girl as we placed each plant, then send the older kids on a bug hunt with their bug boxes (we had purchased plastic bugs to hide throughout the yard), but since the party was rescheduled, and it was during nap time for most of the kids (including our own), we had to forgo those activities.

Favors

As party favors for the kids, I used large half-gallon canning jars for the containers (don't EVER do this if you're having an outdoor party on a day with any wind. The jars actually blew over and busted before everyone arrived). I attached blue card-stock butterflies to the top of wooden dowels with ribbons for butterfly wands and purchased dollar tree butterfly nets. I found an inexpensive butterfly party pack at Party City which I included. Finally, what outdoor party is complete without a little bubble fun, so each child got a dollar store bubble wand as well.

Each family was given a “Thank You” magnet with the same design as Kate's invitation.

The families also received a small packet of flower seeds for their own garden. I purchased the favor tins through Oriental Traders and made the labels from card-stock. Using the Avery round labels and scallop punch, I made planting and growing instruction labels that I stuck on the bottom of each tin.

The Garden
The following day, the four of us enjoyed some special family time planting Kate's little garden. We placed it in a sunny spot next to the girls' play set with the park bench from MaMa & PaPa so Kate can enjoy it each time she and her sister go out to play.

We have been so blessed by wonderful friends and family and a precious first year with our sweet baby Kate. We pray she will always know how truly special and loved she is and we look forward to watching her grow with her garden!

My sweet Baby Kate is One

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I know every mother says this, but I can't believe it has been a year since our sweet baby Kate entered our lives. In a way it seems like she has always been a part of our little family and in another way it seems like just yesterday when she was born. I didn't know that two children from the same mom and dad could be so drastically different. Kate has given us a run for our money this first year: unexplained choking spells, a scary overnight stay in the hospital, gastroenterology appointments, allergist appointments, MANY sleepless nights and separation anxiety (SO attached to Mommy). On the other hand, she has brought us countless joys in her first year: cuddle times, first words (it helps that "Ma-ma" was her first), nursing times, that first time crawling, sister time, and ALWAYS that sweet little open-mouth grin!

What an awesome privilege God has given me to be your Mommy.

I pray that you forever grow in His Grace.

I pray that you will grow to Love Him

I pray that you will grow to show His love to others

I pray that you will have all the joys your heart desires

I pray that I will always be able to guide you along the right path

I pray that you will always know how very much you are loved

I pray for His wisdom in raising you to be all that God designed you to be.

I never knew I had such a capacity to love. You and your sister have taught me so much about myself. With your birth, you fulfilled my dream of being a Mommy to two. With your little life you continue to fulfill dreams that I never imagined. I am soaking up this precious baby time because I know all too quickly you will no longer be my baby:

I love hearing you giggle at your sister when she plays peek-a-boo with you

I love how excited you get as soon as you hear Daddy's  footsteps on the front porch in the afternoon

I love seeing your face light up and your chunky hands clap when I sing to you

I love the smell of your baby breath when you attempt to give me a kiss with your wide-open mouth

I love the feeling of your little head burrowed into my neck when you are sleepy

You complete our little family just perfectly. You are your Mommy's joy, precious Kate!

I love you with all of my heart. Happy Birthday to my sweet baby girl.

No Allergies...FPIES?

Pin It Well, we know what it is NOT:

After a lot of poking, prodding, and scribbling on her back today at the allergist, we know Kate is NOT allergic to: Rice, Oats, Wheat, Barley, Carrots, or Sweet Potatoes.

Since four months old and her first taste of cereal, Kate has not been able to eat ANY type of cereal.

It isn't a texture thing,

it isn't a consistency thing,

it isn't a taste thing:

she gobbles it all up with a big goofy grin on her face.

Everything is completely normal until about 90 minutes later when she vomits EVERYTHING she has eaten for the entire day. She then can't keep anything else down except Pedialyte for the remainder of the day.

Rice, Oats, Barley, Mixed grain...it's all the same.

Mixed with breast milk, mixed with water, mixed with veggies...it's all the same.
2 tablespoons or 1 teaspoon...it's all the same.

Hot, cold, warm...it's all the same.

Her little tummy just can't tolerate it. After a trip to the allergist today (and $200 later) we determined what I had already suspected: she is not allergic, she just has an intollerence to certain foods. I am NOT one of those moms that likes to research and self-diagnose via the internet. I would rather go by the word of the trusted professionals in the medical field than grapple with the variety of opinions and sometimes well meaning but uneducated guesses out there, but in this case, I have. I found a rare diagnosis called FPIES (Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome). Both my pediatrician and allergist agree this is probably her diagnosis. Basically, her body can not digest certain food proteins. They are hesitant to label her with this yet, because she hasn't had anything with milk or soy (she is still exclusively breast-fed) and milk/soy is the typical trigger food for FPIES.

The bad news:

• There is no medical test that can be performed to determine for sure what the true issue is
• There is no medication or treatment other than avoiding her "trigger" foods (anything that causes the vomiting)
• we won't know what foods are "trigger" foods until we give them to her
• So far, she has an intolerance to rice, oats, barley, and wheat
• If she has an intolerance to milk and soy also, getting her the proper nutrients after she stops breast-feeding will be a HUGE challenge

The good news:

• She doesn't have an allergy which means that we hopefully will not have to worry about long-term issues
• FPIES usually resolves itself at about 1.5 to 3 years of age
• She has been able to eat all the fruits and vegetables we have fed her so far
• She's growing and perfectly normal with this exception.

Here are some great links that I found in my online research that I feel (as well as my Pediatrician) are trusted resources:

A Study from the Pediatrics Journal

KFA (Kids with Food Allergies)

Having kids is certainly a journey! I have often heard the phrase, "children don't come with how-to manuals." I have never felt this to be more true than today. I know that if we just take it one day at a time, give our little ones to the Lord each day, and do our very best with the knowledge He has given us, they'll be just fine.

We're on the move!

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I knew it was going to happen. I knew it was going to happen soon. But when it finally did, I cried like a baby...Kate started crawling yesterday. I have said before that she's more of a Mommy's girl than Elena and she stayed true to her reputation yesterday. She crawled for the first time across the bedroom floor to me. To make the story even sweeter: once she touched my leg, she looked up at me with her silly little, open-mouth grin and exclaimed softly, "Ma-ma, Ma-ma."

Yes, it's been tough at times for me to be at home. I loved being on the go when I taught. I loved being around my colleagues. I loved the small accolades that came when my students performed well. Being at home all the time leaves me feeling a bit secluded. Being at home all the time magnifies the fact that I am not the best house-keeper. Being at home all the time means a lot less income. The bottom line is that it's not always easy, but yesterday made any sacrifices we've made worth it all.

One day I hope to go back to work, but today, I'm going to enjoy these moments and treasure them up in my heart. Mommy is so proud of you, baby Kate! You and your sister are worth it all!

Reversible Christmas Tops

Pin It I'm finally back to blogging! We've had a crazy few weeks and I haven't had a moment to sit down in front of the computer to post but I'm so excited about the outfits I whipped up for the girls this weekend. I just have to show them off!

I hope to do a tutorial on how to make these adorable little tops soon, but until then, I'll just have to let you have a sneak peak. These little tops are reversible. I really like making reversible things right now. It's great for my girls. If we're out and their tops get dirty, all I have to do is turn them around. There is also opportunity for extended seasonal wear with these.

And here are a few pics of the girls wearing them at our family reunion this past weekend. It was their first time sitting in Santa's lap:

I'm linking this post up with:

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25 Days of Thanks Challenge: Day 11

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Today I am Thankful for...My Sweet Kate

Dear baby girl,

Today, as you turn 7 months old, I give thanks for having you in my life.

You fulfilled a long-time dream of mine when you were born. I was an only child, and always knew I wanted to have at least two children, so you were a sweet answer to many years of prayer.

When we found out we were expecting again, your mommy was excited but scared. I was so in love with your sister that I didn't see how I could possibly love another (especially another little girl) as much as I loved her: then you came into our lives. All my fears melted away instantly. Unlike when your sister was born, you immediately stole my heart. You just have that way.

I always call you my "sweet Kate" because it just fits you so perfectly:

You are my cuddler

You are a Mommy's girl

You adore your big sister

You have the most darling little features

 You always have a big, open-mouth grin for anyone you come into contact with

You always seem to be more interested in other people rather than yourself


I feel so honored to be your mommy. I love you, baby girl!

What are YOU thankful for today? Check out the "25 Days of Thanks" tab at the top and link up below!

25 Days of Thanks Challenge: Day 4

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Today I am Thankful for...The Ability to Breastfeed my Baby

To preface this post, I'm going into a bit of detail about breastfeeding here in hopes of encouraging other breastfeeding moms. I know that there are a lot of moms out there who for whatever reason can not breastfeed. I totally respect a mom's decision to do what is right for them and their baby whether they breastfeed, pump, or use formula. I have experienced both sides of the spectrum with my girls. Though I didn't have the challenge of working while feeding (don't know how you girls do it), I faced other challenges as a stay-at-home mom.

When I had Elena, I knew nothing about babies (and I mean NOTHING). I had never even changed a diaper. Funny how I thought THAT would be my biggest challenge. I read all of the pregnancy books but just assumed that once I had the baby, everything would come naturally to me as a mom. For the most part it did, but breastfeeding did NOT. As a new mom it took Elena losing lots of weight and a few trips to the lactation consultant to discover she wasn't getting anything. She was labeled a "dis-functional sucker" meaning she latched on but was too lazy to get anything. She basically used me as a pacifier. Determined to give her what she needed (since I knew the benefits of breast milk) I purchased a nice breast pump and for nine long, agonizing months I pumped and fed. I found some great support sites for "EPing" moms (Exclusively Pumping) but didn't realize until having Kate, what a sacrifice pumping truly was for me.

When Kate arrived, I was a bit more aware of what needed to be done to breastfeed, but was so afraid of her not getting enough milk that I went a bit overboard. I did supplement for the first week after bringing her home but I immediately set out pumping to make sure I established my supply. She was a bit lazy at first about eating. We had a hard time keeping her awake to feed. I would feed her on one side and simultaneously pump on the other. Then my husband would feed her what I had pumped just to make sure she was getting some. With Elena, I always knew exactly how much she was getting. Due to my previous experience, I didn't trust my body (or my baby) to get what was needed. It wasn't until she started gaining weight consistently and an exhausting overnight stay in the hospital (due to some other complications she developed) that I finally started limiting some of my pumping and trusting her to get the job done.

Today, Kate is a champion breast-feeder. I only pump if I know that I might be going out or need a bottle for someone else to feed her later (which rarely happens). I can't believe the difference! The bonding that breastfeeding provides is nice, but the biggest difference is the convenience and comfort. I had no idea how I was torturing my body by exclusively pumping. I was rubbed raw from the friction of the pump. I couldn't lay on my stomach for the pain and even water hitting me in the shower hurt. Now that I know how breastfeeding is supposed to be, it would be tough to go back to pumping all the time if I had too. I am so thankful I was able to provide for Elena as long as I did, but I am EVER so thankful that Kate is able to get what she needs directly. It is such a blessing to see my body and my baby responding the way God designed us to...He is Good!

What are YOU thankful for today? Check out the "25 Days of Thanks" tab at the top of the page for details and link up below!

Photo Story Friday: Milestones

Pin It Mothers of all ages experience milestones each day. Whether you have little ones, or grown up "babies," it is so exciting to see them grow and change. It's the small, everyday accomplishments that make life so sweet. My mother asks me often if my two-year-old ever pays attention to my six-month-old. Up until recently, my answer was always the same, "They're both too young." Elena has been too interested in playing with her toys to interact with her baby sister and Kate hasn't been able to do much other than try and turn her head in the direction of her sister's voice.

This week the Lord has given me a glimpse of the joys I am about to experience as a mom of two girls. Kate has started sitting up this week which allows her to view her world in a totally new light. She's grabbing at things and whipping her head around in all directions to check out what's going on. As a result, Elena has started "playing" with her little sister. She brings her toys, tries to get her to laugh, and even tries to clean her little face when she drools. Kate adores her big sister and Elena is so gentle with her.

Of course it's not all happy-go-lucky ALL of the time. Kate pulls Elena's hair and Elena snatches toys out of Kate's hands when she wants them back, but that, too is part of growing up. Regardless, I am thankful for these sweet days and look forward to all those future milestones that God will allow me to be witness to.

Wordless Wednesday: Tummy Time

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Lately, I just can't get enough of my little Kate...She is such a sweet little soul! Unlike her big sister, she LOVES tummy time! She's content just laying with her little head turned to the side grinning at me. She does love her reflection in the mirror, but her favorite is when she sees mine smiling back at her, also. I took a similar picture of Elena at this age also. It was neat to capture Kate in a comparable position. I LOVE MY GIRLS!